By Kathlene Mullens

Kathlene Mullens, MLHR, SPHR, BSBA is the founder and CEO of Female Equality MattersTM, The "No Glass Ceiling" Certification/Brand©. With over a decade of HR experience in four Fortune 100 companies, Ms. Mullens is using that expertise in recruiting, line HR, employee development, and technology to help leverage the power of consumer spending to yield more women, with more equitable pay, in the C-suite and board rooms of companies, non-profits, and colleges/universities around the world.

What do you say to a kid on their first day of school or as they get ready to keep plugging away as the year gets started? Who am I to give advice? Oh, wait... I'm me, and I love to give advice. If I could go back to little Kathlene heading off to elementary school, I'd tell her a thing or ten. These would be on my list:

1. Try everything that does not violate any of Auntie’s rules (or your parents' rules) about life. Try jumping rope, playing tag, green beans, wearing mismatched socks, singing, dancing, being line leader, being line follower, and whenever you're faced with a new situation, imagine all the things you've tried and succeeded at before and think to yourself, "If I did all of THAT, I can probably do THIS!"

2. Trust yourself more. People spend most of their lives telling themselves that they can't do things—most often, they can if they try. Michael Phelps didn't start off as Michael Phelps, Olympic champion. He started off as a kid swimming in a pool. He practiced a lot. He had great coaches to whom he listened and a supportive environment at home. He wanted to be an Olympic champion more than anything. He didn't just jump in the pool, swim a few laps, and hop out with a dozen medals. Oh, and he lost sometimes too but kept going.

3. Use all of the colors in your crayon box as often as possible. Seriously—otherwise you'll end up with 40 sharp crayons, 20 barely used crayons, 20 sort of used crayons, and 16 over-used, nubby crayons by spring. All of the colors can be beautiful—see how they fit together and where they can contribute to your project.

4. Mistakes are part of life. Learn from them, and then keep going. Stop beating yourself up so much about your imperfections.

5. Take care of your stuff. There's no cool factor in tearing up or being careless with your stuff.

6. Be nicer than you must. When you grow up, you'll see that people make fun of others only so that they feel better about themselves. Feel better about you, and be kind to others.

7. This might sound like a contradiction, but stand up for yourself when you must. Note that I said, "Must," like when you cannot stand it anymore or it is someone doing something bad to you.

8. Have good manners. Say: "Please," "Thank you," and "Excuse me" as often as you should. Politeness will serve you well through adulthood.

9. Have fun! Take some time every day to do something that you enjoy besides watching TV.

10. And a bonus that is mostly for we Aunties: We have two ears and one mouth—learn as early as possible to listen more than you talk. (I'm still working hardest on this one!)

Make it an awesome school year!

Photo: Phaitoon
Published: September 4, 2012